1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a golf ball apparatus and method for obtaining a wound string core by winding a string, made of rubber, on a core.
2. Description of the Related Art
A golf ball which comprises a wound string core is conventionally manufactured by the method below. A string, made of rubber, is wound on a core to form a wound string core, and the core is covered to form the golf ball. The core to be string wound is made of a solid rubber or formed by filling liquid or paste material into a rubber bag.
A method described below for winding a string, made of rubber, on a core or a center is widely adapted. First, the core is held by string winding rollers, and at least one of the rollers is driven to rotate, thus the core is being rotated while providing the string to a surface of the core, thereby the string is wound on the core.
At the start of string winding, the starting end of the string is needed to be fixed to the core, and at the end of the winding process, the wound end of the string is needed to be fastened. A string winding apparatus for automatically treating the string starting end and the wound string end is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No.5-10959.
This conventional string winding apparatus comprises winding devices which are provided in a circle, and an arm for treating the string starting end and the wound string end provided on a movable table located in an inner area of the circle of the winding devices. The arm is arranged to face each of the winding devices and treat the string starting end and the wound string end in respect of each device sequentially.
In the conventional string winding apparatus, the construction of the arm is complicated and movements of the devices are also complicated, and therefore the speeding up of the device movement is limited. Furthermore the one arm operates both treatments of the string starting end and the wound string end in respect of each device, and the time required to finish the treatments in respect of each device takes long and the operation efficiency is lowered. Moreover, a freezing means to keep cores (liquid centers) frozen is provided to each winding device, and as a result, the whole apparatus is a large-sized apparatus.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for manufacturing a golf ball wherein a construction is simplified and operation efficiency is increased.